


Barton Hollow

by asymmetricalJester



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bandits & Outlaws, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-23
Updated: 2014-08-23
Packaged: 2018-02-14 08:26:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2184765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asymmetricalJester/pseuds/asymmetricalJester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Ain't going back to Barton Hollow<br/>Devil gonna follow me e'er I go<br/>Won't do me no good washing in the river<br/>Can't no preacher man save my soul"</p><p>All good stories have to start somewhere. This story takes place at the Barton Hollow, a bar that sits on the edge of a sleepy little town.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Barton Hollow

All good stories have to start somewhere. This story takes place at the Barton Hollow, a bar that sits on the edge of a sleepy little town.

Not much happens in this town. The occasional fight sure, but it’s mostly quiet. Other towns get outlaws, thieves, the works. Not the town of Marvel. It seemed immune to trouble, for the most part anyway.

The owner of Barton Hollow was a pretty strange man, hearing aids in both ears and impeccable aim with a bow. Bucky Barnes learned this second fact the hard way. 

In his defense he’d been minding his own business. He was new in town, just wanted a drink. He didn’t know not to sit that close to the meanest guy in town. Also in his defense, how was he supposed to know that three seats over was too close? 

He’d almost lost his nose in that fight, if the guys aim had been off by a fraction Bucky woulda had an arrow sticking out of his face. 

He got off lucky really, just a black eye and a split lip. The damage coulda been a hell of a lot worse but it wasn’t. The jerk who swung on him was thrown out and a pretty red head ushered Bucky into the back to look at his swelling face. 

“It’s nothin’ I promise. Don’t wanna cause any trouble,” he mumbled, trying to get her to leave him alone so he could get out of there. He didn’t like drawing attention to himself. The woman gave him one look and it shut him up right away. Bucky didn’t know a woman could be that scary. 

She ignored his shaking hands, preferring to dab at his split lip and ice his eye. When she allowed it he scrambled out of there as fast as he could. 

Maybe it was a better idea to stay out of that particular bar. 

Xx

Bucky didn’t like to cause trouble, but trouble sure loved to find him. He found himself back at the hollow, sitting at a table in the corner with his head down. A blonde was sitting at the bar, talking animatedly with the redhead that had patched Bucky up. He couldn’t weigh more than 90 pounds soaking wet so Bucky was pretty shocked when the blonde started to pick a fight.

A guy was hitting on one of the girls, she couldn’t be more than 18 at best, and blondie decided to step in. Of course he got decked right away. 

Before anyone else could do anything Bucky was on his feet. He grabbed the guy by the front of his shirt, a snarl on his face. 

“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size,” he spat, voice laced with venom. 

The guy’s eyes widened at Bucky’s metal hand and put his own hands up. “Don’t want no more trouble buddy. Just on my way out,” the stranger managed before stumbling out the door. 

“I had ‘im on the ropes,” blondie said from his spot on the floor. Bucky just rolled his eyes and helped him to his feet with his flesh and blood hand. 

“Sure ya did. Just didn’t want more blood being spilled than necessary,” he shrugged, playing into the kids obvious pride. 

The blonde eyed him suspiciously as he dusted himself off. Bucky noted how blue his eyes were and then shoved the thought from his mind. No need to get attached to anyone here. He’d just be on his way before he knew it. It didn’t make sense to make friends and put them in danger.

“Steve Rogers. Thanks for helping out there man, Kate’s just a kid. She doesn’t need creeps like that giving her trouble,” the blonde, Steve, held his right hand out to shake. 

Bucky frowned a bit and then sighed, shaking his hand. Steve stared at Bucky’s metal hand for a moment but didn’t say anything, just smiled. “I should get going. Nice to meet ya’ Steve.” the brunette grumbled before shuffling out the door. 

Yeah, no getting attached.

Xx

He wound up spending more time at the Hollow than he intended. Apparently the owner’s name was Clint. It was his family’s bar originally, he was just carrying on the business. The redheads name was Natasha. She was Russian, Bucky could tell by her accent. She was also terrifying but he had a lot of respect for her.

They had lots of friends that came in and out. There was a smug son of a bitch named Tony that like to bring girls with him when he came in, a quiet man with a mean temper named Bruce, and a big lug of a blonde puppy named Thor. He had arched his brow at the name with he had been introduced.

Okay so his plan of not making friends hadn’t worked. At all. The next time he showed up at the bar the blonde had introduced him to Natasha and Clint. When asked for his name all he gave them was Bucky.

It was safer that they didn’t know his full name. No one needed to know what he had done in his life and if they had his name they’d know. They’d know as soon as the words were uttered. And then he’d have to run again. He was so tired of running away. 

The more time he spent there though, the more he realized that he wasn’t the only one hiding something. He wasn’t sure what it was about this town but something was off. 

It only really rang home with him when he asked why everyone was so god damned weird. 

The blonde had laughed, clapping his shoulder like they had been friends for ages and not just weeks. “Everyone here has a secret Buck. It’s a town full of wandering souls and lost causes.”

Xx

Steve, it turned out, was an artist. He was all too eager to open up to Bucky about his personal life but not his art. When the conversation turned to that he always changed the subject at breakneck speed. One time Bucky had persisted only to have Steve storm off. Natasha had just shaken her head at him and told him not to bother asking. Even they didn’t know anything about Steve’s art. 

The next day he made it up to Steve by letting him in. Just a little. “Bucky’s not my real name,” he started, sighing heavily. “It’s a nickname. Can’t tell ya’ my real name though,” he shook his head, smiling bitterly. 

Steve just gave him this look, like he was seeing straight into his soul, and nodded. He just fuckin’ nodded and somehow it made Bucky feel better. Like he was accepted. Like he had a place in this shit world. 

They spent the night talking, trading random facts about themselves. They only left when Clint kicked them out an hour past closing time.

Xx

Bucky had picked up work by doing odd jobs all around town. Fixing this person’s wall, painting that woman’s fence. Eventually Clint asked him to help fix the roof of the bar. It was in bad need of new shingles and he didn’t really trust too many people to do it. 

Somehow Bucky had earned Clint’s trust, he wasn’t sure how, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Especially not when Clint offered him full time employment after the roof was done. The bar was basically falling apart and he needed as much help as he could to rebuild the place a little at a time. 

It got Bucky free beer and money to buy food with. He was grateful for the work. 

Somehow over the months he grew closer to Steve. The annoying blonde kid stuck by his side, defending him against anyone who questioned his arm and he backed the kid up in fights he was too small to be picking. He wasn’t sure when he had gotten so fond of Steve. Somewhere between the relentless teasing, beers, and stupid nicknames he had started to fall.

Love had never been Bucky’s strong suit. The last time he had been in love he almost died. And he couldn’t risk involving Steve in his shit. He started making plans to run again, always putting them off because of this or that. He couldn’t bring himself to leave yet.

Xx

It had been almost a year since Bucky showed up in Barton Hollow for the first time when shit finally hit the fan.

There was word of a man coming to town. A dangerous man with lots of money and he was looking for a man with a metal arm. 

Of course Steve caught wind of it. He and Bucky were sitting in his living room, casually playing cards when the blonde brought it up.

“You’re gonna run again aren’t you?” he started, glancing up at Bucky.

The brunette didn’t answer, worrying at his lower lip anxiously. 

“Buck. Please. Tell me.” Steve sounded desperate. 

Bucky looked him in the eyes and lost his breath. Steve’s face looked so… Broken. Like his heart was ripping into shreds. He wanted to kill the person who made Steve look like that. And then he realized he was the one that did it. 

Steve threw his cards to the side and crawled across the floor till he was sitting in Bucky’s lap, holding his face with trembling hands. “Don’t go Buck. Don’t leave me. I love-” but he was cut off by Bucky’s lips.

He couldn’t hear Steve say it. If he heard Steve say it he wouldn’t be able to leave. And he had to. He had to protect his friends, had to protect Steve. No matter what, he couldn’t let them get hurt.

They had sex for the first time that night. It was slow, passionate. Every time Steve tried to speak Bucky just kissed him. In the dim light of the living room they made love, fingers intertwined and foreheads pressed together. 

Bucky didn’t think he’d heard anything more beautiful than Steve’s moans and when he cried out his name as he came well… 

It was a sound he was sure he’d never forget. He’d loved lots of girls over the years as he ran from place to place, but never like this. Never as passionately as he loved Steve. 

Xx

It was still dark when Bucky took off from Steve’s place. They had fallen asleep on the living room floor, bodies tangled together. 

Nothing had hurt him as badly as it hurt him to leave Steve. Even when he lost his arm he hadn’t felt this kind of pain.

It seemed the universe had other plans for him though. As he was trying to escape he felt a bullet drive into his shoulder.

He wasn’t sure what happened from there. He was passing the Hollow but it had long since closed for the night. It was dark and everything hurt. He felt himself get picked up, he heard shouts. There was some gunfire and then nothing. 

He woke up to excruciating pain and Natasha digging the bullet out of his arm. He bit back his screams, eyes squeezed shut and body tense. 

“What the fuck is going on Bucky. You’d best get talking,” Cling demanded. He looked pissed and rightfully so. There was a bleeding man on the bar. 

Bucky sat up so Natasha could properly bandage him and let out a long sigh. “My real name is James Buchanan Barnes. ‘Bout eight years ago I got mixed up with a group called Hydra. They’re the ones that gave me the arms. ‘Bout five years ago I decided I wanted out. I was a hitman. Hydra didn’t want to let me go. Had too much invested in me. So I’ve been on the run,” he spoke quietly, noting the recognition that flitted across their faces. In his past life Bucky had been a pretty notorious murderer. 

Natasha looked him dead in the eyes, completely expressionless. “Whatever you’ve done, none of it matters. Why do you think this town is so safe Bucky? We’ve all got secrets. Steve wasn’t joking when he said this was a town of wandering souls and lost causes. You think you’ve got blood on your hands? You’ve got no idea what some of us have done,” she finished, hands on her hips.

Bucky blinked a few times and then sighed. “I’ve never come clean with anyone before. Never really had much reason too. Always been an outcast. This is the first place I’ve felt like I had a real home.” 

Clint barked out a laugh. “Well good. We like you, you’re not allowed to leave,” he said cheerily, going to the back. 

Bucky arched a brow and folded his arms across his chest. “It’s not a good idea to try and take these guys on. They’re dangerous.”

Clint came back out, bow in hand. “Yeah, and so are we. We take care of our own Bucky. And like it or not, you’re ours now. Steve’s made sure of that.” 

Bucky’s blood ran cold. “Steve… Fuck, I left him alone. What if they saw me leaving his place?” he was starting to panic, eyes wide and body tense. 

Natasha slammed her hands down on the bar. “Shut the fuck up Barnes. What did he just say? We take care of our own. I’ll call Tony and make him pick up Steve, have him bring him here. And then we’ll prepare,” she snapped. 

Bucky stared at her, not completely understanding. “Prepare for what?”

She gave him a cold smile, pulling a gun out from under the bar. “Prepare to protect our town. No one comes in here to make trouble and gets away with it.”

Xx

In the end they couldn’t find Steve. There was a note on his door. Steve’s life for Bucky’s, a fair trade. 

Bucky agreed to it as soon as they told him. He wouldn’t listen to reason, Steve’s life was more important than his own.

As Bucky prepared to go to his death the others started to plan. They weren’t letting this stubborn, reckless outlaw go so easily. 

The morning dawned and they walked to the meeting place. Steve didn’t look afraid. He had a bloody lip and a black eye and Bucky was pretty sure his nose had been broken, judging by the blood. He had put up a fight. 

Bucky felt his heart swell with a little pride and a lot of love. He approached them, hands up. “Let him go and I’m yours. Just let him go.” 

They threw Steve to the ground, barking at him to get out of there. Bucky couldn’t bring himself to look Steve in the eye as he passed. He knew he was crying. 

He had just approached him when there was a sharp pain at the back of his neck and then it all went black.

Xx

They knew Bucky wouldn’t go back to working for them. How could he, after years of running? 

Word got around town that this group of thugs planned on executing him publically that very evening. It didn’t give the group that gathered at the Hollow much time to work out a plan. 

Sundown approached quickly and the men of Hydra set up a hangmans noose in the center of town. The group wasn’t sure where they were keeping Bucky, they had scoured the entire town looking for him. 

They were going to have to take him back by force. 

Steve was closed in his art studio in his home most of the day. They knew he was painting, they weren’t sure how he could paint at a time like this. No one questioned it though. Steve did what he did for a reason. 

Soon enough it was time. A crowd had gathered in front of the noose to watch this virtual stranger be put to death for no reason. Natasha was disgusted with humans sometimes. 

She noticed Steve at the front of the crowd and cursed under her breath. He was going to get in the way of their rescue. 

Bucky was led onto the platform. No one said a word, not even his captors. The noose was tightened around his neck. 

High above their heads an arrow was drawn. 

The floor fell out from Bucky’s feet. He was lucky, his neck didn’t snap. 

Soon after he collapsed to the earth, coughing and sputtering. An arrow had cut the rope. 

The men of Hydra pulled their guns and started screaming. People fled, fearing for their lives. Steve ran to Bucky, throwing his body over the other man as gunfire started to rain down from several different spots in the town.

Bodies dropped around them but Steve never moved. He just shielded Bucky from the bullets like he was made of stone. As the smoke cleared they came from their hiding spots. Bucky looked up, seeing people he knew very well and people he had barely spoken to step out. 

The leader of Hydra wasn’t among the fallen. But with so many dead, he’d get the message. No more going after James Barnes. He was a lost cause.

Xx

That night the Barton Hollow was swinging. It was a full on celebration for the inhabitants of Marvel. They had protected their town again. Shown the outside world what happened when you went looking for trouble in the devils backbone.

Bucky wasn’t feeling the celebration. Steve had taken off once the dust had cleared and Bucky didn’t blame him. He left the party early, going to Steve’s house to see if the blonde man was okay. 

He knocked at his front door, nervously waiting. When Steve opened the door he pulled Bucky inside and pulled him into a teeth crashing kiss. 

They wound up having sex on the floor again. It was angrier this time, neither one was left without marks. As he came, Bucky told Steve he loved him. He got a laugh in response. 

“I know Buck.” 

They cleaned up and got dressed again. Bucky noticed that Steve was a lot more relaxed than he had been and it was a relief. “So, I guess they told you all about me. What I did,” the brunette said after a while. If the group hadn’t Hydra sure did. 

Steve eyed him for a moment and took his hand. “You’re probably wondering why I’m here.” he said, tugging on Bucky’s hand. 

It was true, Bucky had been wondering. Steve was too innocent, too good to be living here. He couldn’t imagine the blonde man being an outlaw like the rest of the town. 

Steve led Bucky to a room at the back of the house. Bucky knew it was Steve’s art room, he’d never been allowed in there. 

“I see things when I dream. Well, when I have nightmares. It’s how I knew you were going to try and leave. I thought… I thought if we had sex you wouldn’t go. And then I saw you in the noose. I tried to change it but I couldn’t,” he said quietly, showing Bucky countless paintings. They were of different people in varying situations. None of them good. 

Steve let out a long sigh and ran a hand through his blonde hair. “I’ve been getting them since I was little. I came here cause no one asked. No one tried to pry into my art. I knew if the wrong person found out I could get into some serious trouble.”

He turned to Bucky and took his hands. “I don’t care about your past Buck. I love you. I trust you enough to know my deepest secret. Don’t worry about what I know because it doesn’t matter to me. Who you are now? That’s what matters. What we are? That’s what I care about,” his voice was quiet but firm. He squeezed Bucky’s hands and the brunette looked up at him.

“Stevie I… Thank you. I never thought I could have a real home, not since my parents died and I lost my arm. You guys have given me a home. It’s more than I can ask for, more than I deserve,” Bucky mumbled, leaning in to kiss Steve gently on the lips. 

They left that room and went to Steve’s bedroom, finally managing to fool around in a bed. It was sweet and Bucky never wanted to leave Steve’s arms. 

Before falling asleep still tangled up in Steve he thanked the heavens for that bar on the edge of town.

**Author's Note:**

> Lyrics in the description and the title come from the song "Barton Hollow" by The Civil Wars~
> 
> I instantly fell in love with the song when I heard it and knew right away I wanted to do something with it. I kinda had a plot bunny and ran with it when I heard "Devils Backbone" by the same band. I've got 3 other fics I could be working on but nope. Had to write this one.
> 
> Pretty sure this is the longest fic I've ever written in one sitting. It's probably not the best thing out there but I like it and I hope you do too~!


End file.
